Pictures: The regional stars who never quite made it for Wales

Nicky Robinson

The Cardiff Blues outside-half was a revelation towards the end of his Welsh regional career before moving to England.

But he never fulfilled his talents on the Test stage with 13 caps over six years between 2003 and 2009. Older brother Jamie won 23 caps.

Dan Evans

The full-back picked up two caps on the summer tour of North America in 2009, while a Scarlets player. Moved to the Dragons in 2012 before linking up with the Ospreys two years later. Been consistent wherever he has been.

Richard Fussell

Another who made the journey from Pontypridd to the Dragons before then linking up with the Ospreys.

Has been a model of consistency in the regional game for almost a decade but never rewarded on Test stage.

Joe Bearman

The Cornishman qualified for Wales through residency and the back-rower has been a consistent performer over the last decade with the Dragons and the Ospreys.

Adam Jones

Not the famous Wales prop but the industrious lock who made 127 appearances in two stints at Rodney Parade, while also featured for the Scarlets where he was superb during their Heineken Cup semi-final campaign in 2006/07.

Earned two Welsh in the 2006 Six Nations against England and Scotland.

Phil John

The veteran loose-head prop joined Llanelli in 1999 before moving into the Scarlets.

Never capped but still turning out for the region and has played more than 300 games for the club and the region.

Vernon Cooper

The second-row made 369 appearances in all for the Llanelli club and Scarlets region before hanging up his boots in 2011.

Won three Welsh caps between 2002 and 2003.

Tal Selley

Holds the honour of being the first player to play for all four regions, spending five seasons with the Scarlets, playing in the historic victory over Australia for the Ospreys and had loan spells with the Dragons and Blues.

Won only Test cap against USA in summer of 2005, while he was named player of the tournament when Wales Sevens were crowned world champions in 2009.

Gareth Wyatt

The Pontypridd product was among the Celtic Warriors for the first season before linking up with the Dragons where he lies second in the try-scoring charts behind Aled Brew with 29.

Two Welsh caps but none since the first regional rugby match was played in 2003.

Richie Rees

The Cardiff Blues scrum-half was Wales’ flavour of the month briefly in 2010 with nine Test appearances but was dropped from the World Cup training squad the following year.

Also played for the Ospreys and now with the Dragons.

Richie Rees celebrates a Wales win (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

Steve Tandy

The no-nonsense flanker, one of the original Ospreys, who went on to play 102 games in seven seasons with the region before finishing in 2010.

In February 2012 Tandy, succeeded Sean Holley as head coach and remains in the job.

Garan Evans

Wing made 343 appearances for both Llanelli and the Scarlets, scoring a total of 125 tries, making him ninth top try scorer in the history of the club.

Evans won four caps for Wales, his first was on tour in South Africa in 1998 in the 96-13 defeat before being recalled five years later for the World Cup.

Took up role as team manager at the Scarlets in June 2008 after retiring.

James Bater

Flanker began his professional rugby career at Swansea before moving to the Ospreys at the team’s inception at the dawn of regional rugby in Wales.

In three years at the Ospreys, Bater made 67 appearances, scoring six tries.

Found himself on the fringes and joined the Scarlets before retiring in March 2009. Won one cap in 2003.

Jamie Ringer

Made 140 appearances for the Dragons as well as plying his trade at Cardiff, Bridgend and Neath before the advent of regional rugby.

Full international caps were hard to come by due to one Martyn Williams hogging the Welsh No.7 jersey, meaning Ringer played just two Tests on the 2001 summer tour of Japan.

Barry Davies

Something of a forerunner to Leigh Halfpenny, except in the amount of Welsh caps won.

A counter-attacking full-back who could bang over kicks from distance. Yet the man who played for the Scarlets, Brive and the Ospreys won just one cap off the bench against Ireland in the 2006 Six Nations Championship.

Gavin Thomas

Made the most of his 24 Welsh appearances while playing his club rugby at Bridgend and Bath.

The flanker, whose regional rugby took in spells at the Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons, played two Tests against Argentina in the summer of 2006 but then waited four more years for his next cap against New Zealand in Dunedin.

Morgan Stoddart

Played 85 times for the Scarlets between 2006-12, scoring 30 tries yet his injury-ravaged career took in just eight caps between 2007-11 when he scored five Test tries.

Broke his leg in a 2011 World Cup warm-up clash with England and though the wing/full-back did return, the injury effectively ended his career.